October Tide
Grey Dawn

We completely missed the mark; in my humble opinion, this time October Tide has, as they say in my neck of the woods, completely "flopped." I'm aware I'm going against the grain and expressing a critical opinion opposite to those given by most magazines (and websites) about this album, but honestly, I can't find many interesting aspects in it.

The group in question is nothing more than the union (outside of Katatonia) of Jonas Renkse and Fredrik Norrman, with, in this case, Marten Hansen on vocals instead of Renkse himself (who delivered a great vocal performance on the previous record, and debut). And here's where the issue begins (the first time).

Yes, because the execution of this new addition left me rather cold, a flat growl, monotonous, without any expressive inflection. It has been since the "Serenades" by Anathema that I completely dismissed a growl (and at the time, I did it for Darren White).

Ignoring this first flaw, we can categorize (for those who love categorizations) their genre as doom-death metal, with sad and decaying tones heavily indebted to early Katatonia. At times slow, funereal, and devastating for the tension they manage to build up, they substitute with furious death interludes, marked by guitar lines well-known to fans of Renkse & co.'s "major" group. The result is overall pleasant, but unfortunately, and here's where the issue arises for the second time, the tracks all sound a bit similar, and the key moments of the album boil down to a little less than half of the eight tracks on the record. Everything flows too linearly, without leaving a strong impression and without weighing down, not even a little, the heart and soul of those listening to the record (something a good doom album should do, or at least should not leave so indifferent). Cascades of riffs, the same growl, drums that speed up, then proceed wearily, then speed up again, and so on for all the tracks.

I feel I should highlight the opener "October Insight", "Floating", which at least manages to be memorable if only for its captivating structure, and "Into Deep Sleep", which seems to me the most convincing in terms of heaviness and the emotions it evokes. To be honest, "Lost In The Dark - And Then Gone" wouldn't even be that bad, but it's heavily flawed (like the entire album) by its repetitiveness, by its obsessing around the same structures.

Honestly, I'm sorry to cut down a record toward which I had great expectations because of the previous "Rain Without End" or due to my respect for Katatonia; unfortunately, however, I can only criticize all this monotony in a genre that by nature certainly doesn't shine with liveliness and cheerfulness, but has given us and continues to give us unparalleled gems and good records, by far still superior to this "Grey Dawn".

Turn your attention elsewhere, that's my advice.